NH Delegation Announces $20 Million Research Grant to UNH
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Congresswomen Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) and Annie Kuster (NH-02) announced a $20 million National Science Foundation (NSF) award to New Hampshire’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NH EPSCoR) at the University of New Hampshire. This grant will fund NH BioMade, a five-year project aimed at expanding New Hampshire’s research capacity in the design and development of potentially lifesaving biomaterials using 3D printing. Critically, this project will build research capacity across New Hampshire, developing a strong workforce for biotechnology and advanced manufacturing through additional hiring, workforce training and education.
“The research and design of biomaterials will help save lives, and I am thrilled to see the National Science Foundation recognize New Hampshire’s role in the development of this cutting edge technology,” said Shaheen, who advocated for this funding as the Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee in the Senate. “This grant will allow New Hampshire to expand its research capacity throughout the state through workforce development programs, growing our economy and creating jobs. I congratulate NH EPSCoR on this award, and as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee I will continue to advocate for federal funding to bolster medical research and innovation.”
“This $20 million federal grant from the National Science Foundation will help cement UNH’s leadership in this cutting-edge research, support our state’s growing biomaterials industry, and ultimately save lives,” said Hassan. “Supporting our scientists and research facilities is one of the most important investments we can make in our nation’s health and well-being, and I will continue to fight to support the National Science Foundation which makes this critical funding possible.”
“UNH and the EPSCoR program are pioneering cutting-edge research into lifesaving biotechnologies, and I am very happy that this impressive program will be receiving $20 million in federal funding from the National Science Foundation,” said Shea-Porter. “This funding will be used to establish a new facility to research and assemble state-of-the-art biomaterials and will support the hiring of eleven new faculty researchers across our state. From orthopedics to trauma treatment, these new compounds have the potential to revolutionize surgical and other lifesaving procedures. I have been proud to support the NSF, which has been an essential funding source for UNH and the critical research programs that grow our innovation workforce and have positioned our state as a leader in advanced manufacturing and health care technologies.”
“This funding will support groundbreaking research into biomaterials that will help to shape the future of medicine,” said Kuster, who has written in support of robust funding for the National Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research program. “High-tech advanced medical research is an increasingly important component of New Hampshire’s economy and this $20 million grant will support the Granite State’s leadership as a pioneer in the healthcare technologies of the future.”
